Two little monkeys named Cheeky and Chee are playing when something spooks them.
This simple rhyming story with large illustrations and repetitive language, is a great book for storytime for young children. Kids will be curious to find out who these two monkeys are avoiding while climbing and jumping from tree to tree. It’s bound to keep them on the edge of their seats!

Fun!

First there is a depiction of sand and sand related activities enjoyed by many children crowding each page. The book is action packed with buckets, shovels, a big blue ball, and a picnic lunch. Sand castles, gulls, pelicans and fish appear in various scenes. The action morphs from sand related fun to playing in the water, then moves back onto a beach on which the children have built a colossal sand castle. The juxtaposition of a large blue beach ball and a matching blue ocean blends sea, sky and sand together in a delightful panorama of fun at the beach.

by Julie Fogliano

This engaging story begins in the time just before spring, when all is brown outside and nothing seems to be green.  A young boy and his dog look out at all the brown around them and decide to plant a garden.  They plant seeds in the ground and wish for rain.  Then it rains, and they wait and wait for some sign of green.  Other animals join them along the way, each at its own spot in the garden.  They worry about the seeds and wonder if the birds or the bears have taken them, and they wait.  At last, one day they hear “a greenish hum that you can only hear if you put your ear to the ground and close your eyes.”  Amusingly, the underground creatures (the worms, the ants, the mice in their burrows) are listening, too.  Will it be spring soon?

and then it’s spring is beautifully illustrated by Caldecott Medal winner Erin Stead.  I found that my eyes lingered on each page to see the artful detail in every creature, and the subtle humor throughout.  A lovely book about anticipation, it is simply told and gently captures the feelings of hope and longing for spring.

Review by Carol Chamberlain

One of my favorite children’s authors is Eve Bunting. I adore the fact that Bunting is willing to tackle any topic for a children’s book without shying away from the difficult, or painful. She makes it possible to find a book about homelessness or loss of a parent that is understandable and not overwhelming to the young child. And yet, she is totally capable of treating a common, day to day topic like summer and flowers, with the joy and imagination that a child brings to summer. In “Sunflower House” a young boy plants a circle of sunflowers in his yard and then watches and tends them as they grow. He imagines them to be a variety of settings until they reach their full height, and they become his summer hideout and playground. He and his friends create wonderful scenarios to play out in the “sunflower house” even spending the night sleeping in them in one spread. She does not ignore the sadness as the flowers fade and die at the end of summer, but the boy helps us remember that the seeds that are left behind feed the winter birds, and plant a new sunflower circle for the next summer. Absolutely delightful, this is a story of spring planting, summer joy, and the cycle of life.

Gael Nappa
May 2013
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This Caribbean folktale is one of my favorites. This book is fun and children will love to hear the story and repeat the animal sounds over and over again.  The text is romantic and humorous. They are different versions of the same story but this author does a wonderful job retelling and illustrating this fairy tale.  The design is amazing and the colors are bright.

Reading Level: 4 and up

Review by Julia Aybar

I am what I am and that’s all right with me,
I don’t have to be different, I just have to be.
I don’t want to be somebody else. No sir-ree!
I am what I am and that’s all right with me

Eventually the two meet on a ski slope. The princess is skiing without
skis on because her feet are as long as skis. The prince’s nose is
concealed under a scarf. They ski together, get along well, and
eventually laugh when their physical problems are revealed. Soon the
prince proposes, and the happily- ever -after illustration implies that
they are a perfect match.

This book is charming and appealing. The self esteem message  may be a
little heavy handed, but that is offset by the light and humorous tone of
the book. It is written in rhyme, adding to its lighthearted appeal. There
are also modern slang words such as  ”beak” and “schnoz” that counteract the
preachiness of the theme. The misty pastel illustrations by Stephen
Costanza augment the gentle and reassuring tone of the book. Some silly touches, such as the
presence of a modern ski lift in an otherwise old fashioned scene, redeem
the potentially didactic message in a delightful way.

Review by Donna Talmage

In this beautiful retelling of the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale, the beautiful Rapunzel is locked away in a tall, tall tower. She is visited only by the little creatures of the forest and the witch who has imprisoned her. Until one day, a handsome prince, passing by on his horse, is transfixed by the magical sound of Rapunzel singing to her animal friends and knows he must rescue her.

Reminiscent of elaborate embroidery of tapestries, the pictures are quite magical throughout the story and will capture young readers. Children and adults alike will be spellbound, poring over the pages again and again, delighting each time in new details and discoveries. Highly recommended for ages 5-11.

Kathy Alexander 3-28-13

This lovely book tells the familiar tale of the prince looking for a bride who is a real princess. The artwork is soft and gentle, but some of the humor in the pictures is quite sharp.  As the prince travels about meeting princesses, he collects their pictures – a large stack of framed portraits – and then sits glumly studying them. The brief text refers vaguely to his disappointment with the selections, but the illustrations will bring a giggle to any toddler – one princess picks her nose, another frowns,  another sticks out her tongue, and one of them reaches out of the frame to steal a piece of cake. The scene in which the real princess arrives in a thunderstorm is charming and approachable. She looks bedraggled and grumpy, and yet, very lovely.

This book makes this classic tale very understandable to a young child, and the art draws them right in. This would be a great book to share with a child, letting them tell you the story based on the illustrations.

review by Gael Nappa

I found the book, “One Cool Friend” to be a totally charming read. It isn’t the sort of thing I would ordinarily pick up to preview, but our assignment was to review one of the awards or honors books, so I decided to give it a try. I usually tend towards soft, lush, colorful art, but the stylized line art drawings of this book perfectly reflect the tongue in cheek wit of the story.

Elliot is a very formal and proper young man, seemingly the total opposite of his effusive, sloppy looking father. When Dad suggests a trip to Family Fun Day at the Aquarium, Elliot is dismayed, thinking of the mobs of raucous children. But, he is polite, and accepts his father’s invitation graciously. Once there, Dad settles in for a naturalistic study, and Elliot moves off in search of an exhibit that isn’t too crowded, and is overjoyed to find the penguins, who are all dressed in tuxedos like he is. He ends up bringing home a penguin, and makes it comfortable in his room, with a skating rink and anchovies. The story continues in very droll fashion until the surprise ending, where we realize how much the pet reflects the owner.

One of the things I really liked about this book was the delightfully distracted and unconventional father, and his relationship with his very focused and conventional son. As different as they are, they are both understanding and accepting of each other, and the book ends happily, if absurdly.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a cute or clever treatment of penguins, or father son relationships. It would be great for a story time or read aloud.

Review by Gael Nappa

This beautifully illustrated bedtime story begins with a little girl who didn’t want to sleep. After declaring repeatedly that she is not sleepy, her calm parents remind her to change into pajamas and wash up and climb into bed. Once in bed (though not tired), she asks many questions about how animals sleep. As her parents answer her many queries about sleeping habits of familiar animals, they kiss her “goodnight” and turn out the lights.  She continues to remember her parents’ description of the various animals as she falls asleep.

The characters wear crowns as they make their way through magical lands and the illustrations are very whimsical. The attention to detail is very much noted throughout the book. This warm and cozy story may put little ones to sleep, but they’ll have a lot to look at before they close their eyes.

2013 Caldecott honor book

Review by Kathy Alexander

The author sets the stage for this event by explaining the political scenario in Europe at the turn of the century in very approachable terms. It almost sounds like playground politics as he explains the alliances and anxieties of the various countries involved, and certainly makes the complex situation easily understandable by the average middle school reader. I am not a history buff, but came away feeling I had a real sense of the egos and ambitions of the leaders of the time, why the antagonisms escalated, and where things went wrong in the process of trying to avert war.

This is one of the best books for kids I have read in a very long time.  I decided to give it a try for my 5^th and 6th grade book club December choice, because we hadn’t ever done a non-fiction book, and I was looking for something stimulating and seasonal. This book has been on the middle school summer reading list for several years, so I anticipated it would be well written, and the focus of the book is an incident that occurred at Christmas time. I found it a surprisingly quick and engrossing read. But the big revelation for me was how much the kids in my group enjoyed it. I had a full complement at our book club meeting, including one young man who hadn’t attended since last year! This book stimulated one of the most thought provoking and spirited conversations my book club has ever had. The kids really liked this book, in spite of some graphic pictures. One girl commented that she just kept coming back to the idea that the war never needed to happen. The irony and absurdity of that juxtaposed with the total devastation caused was mind numbing to her.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone in 6^th grade up who is looking for non-fiction, a general background on World War I, a taste of world politics, or just a good read. It has certainly piqued my interest in this prolific author. I will read more of his work, cheerfully.

Miss Gael

So, if you’d like to read a biography about overcoming adversity and flying high, Bessie Coleman’s is not to be missed. The “Just the Facts” version is just full of great historical documents and pictures, highlighted fast facts (Did you know that Bessie is on a US Postage Stamp?), and great insights.

Oh! And it is 112 pages so it just meets that biography report requirement too! ;)

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As students head back to school this September, we encourage parents to visit Haverhill Public Library and make sure their children and teens sign up for the most important school supply of all: a library card.

September is Library Card Sign-up Month, a time when the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country remind parents and caregivers that a library card is the smartest card your can own. We are pleased nearly 65% of Haverhill’s residents held library cards as of June 30, 2012; we’d love to increase that number to 100%.

When it comes to achieving academic success, a library card provides students with access to a world of both print and electronic resources. Students can access free databases, online homework help and attend programs, activities and clubs that provide an added value to the educational experience. No wonder that 84% of Americans agree that the public library is important to education!

Today’s students learn differently than their predecessors, with studies indicating that students most effectively learn when they are allowed to follow their personal interest. Libraries and librarians are on the frontlines of engaging these students, making a library card an essential tool for inspiring a passion for learning.

Today’s libraries provide children and teens with access to new and innovative software and tools for shooting and editing videos, creating their own web comics, composing music and writing blogs. Not only that, but the library comes with an expert in developing original programs and honing these new skills – a librarian. What better place is there to explore and develop new interests then at the library?

This September, open the door to a world of possibilities for the student in your life and sign up for a library card today!

Smart kids! Geology wizards! Lovers of comics! YOU MUST CHECK OUT THIS BOOK. The title pretty much says it all: this graphic novel is the uniquely illustrated miraculous journey through the center of the earth by the intrepid Leo Geo. And, while that in and of itself is rather fun, the artwork is so detailed and intricate that you could pour over the book for hours and still not see all there is to see.

Leo Geo, the explorer, goes through great peril for his most worthy cause: science! As he quests through the earth’s mantle and outer core, he fills you in on lots of amazing facts. (Did you know that the earth’s mantle can reach temperatures of 8000 degrees Fahrenheit? Or, that a Japanese Spider Crab has the greatest leg span of any critter on the surface of earth?)

As exciting as the science and learning are, Leo Geo’s quest takes him through Quadclops monsters and bizarre sub-surface dwellers too. For a rip-roaring good adventure story, magnificent artwork, and the amazing facts make sure to check out this comic today!

Check it out today!

This is the story of Amanda and Leo that are born on the same day at the Willow Falls Birthing Center. Their parents meet in front of the nursery window. On their first birthday, due to a mistake, both families book the same birthday room. They end up celebrating their first birthday together. They go on to spend every birthday together, hosting joint birthday parties.
On their 10th birthday, Amanda and Leo have a fight and after that they are not friends anymore. For their 11th birthday, their parents plan individual birthday parties. Here is when their lives get complicated. When they wake up the next day, they learn that it is their birthday all over again. They fall into a time loop and their birthday repeats itself 11 times but only they know it is happening. They repeat 11 birthdays until they discover out how to finally reach the next day.

11 Birthdays is a fabulous book full of surprises, fun, humor and most of all true friendship. I find it interesting how they get the opportunity to fix mistakes as the day repeats itself over and over again. They also realize and appreciate what is really important and what is not, because whatever happens on the current day is going to be erased on the next day.
I totally recommend it and I am ready to read Finally by the same author. This book is appropriate for children 9 and up.

review by Julia Aybar, August 2011

This situation is about to change as Dave has been doing a report on India and has become fascinated by Mahatma Ghandi. He has learned that Ghandi practiced a discipline of not speaking for one day of each week to attempt to bring order to his mind. Dave decides to try this discipline himself, which causes immediate problems. He is unable to deliver an oral report on India to his class because it is due on his day of silence. Dave fakes a coughing fit to escape the dilemma, but his classmates soon catch on to his deception. When they find out about Dave’s project they too are inspired, and the entire class decides to remain silent for two days.
The students create elaborate rules to make their program work. They are allowed to answer a teacher’s questions, but in only three words. Except for this, they must remain silent with their peers and also at home, but they are allowed to make sound effects such as grunts, groans, and clapping. They can also use other forms of communication such as writing notes, miming, and even sign language. The project also becomes a boy/girl competition to see who can be the most silent. There are elaborate scorekeeping plans involving a point system for penalties when someone breaks the rules.

The new code of silence creates many hilarious situations. One student gets a very bad haircut because he is not allowed to speak to his barber. The teachers and administration are flabbergasted at the new order and react in various ways, some of them quite devious. For example, the science teacher decides to quietly observe the unfolding phenomenon as an experiment, and the language arts teacher decides to turn his observations into a research paper, and maybe even a book. The principal reluctantly abandons her favorite discipline tool, a bullhorn. There are echoes of the Wayside School books in the wacky goings on at Laketon Elementary School.

Ultimately, the whole school, faculty and students alike, are transformed in a good way by this experiment. They have learned new ways to communicate: the kids and teachers at Laketon Elementary School had changed the way they expressed themselves, changed their view of language itself- what it is, and how communication can take so many different forms.
No Talking is a fast and enjoyable read. The characters, setting and actions are completely believable. The situation portrayed is funny but with serious underlying issues. Numerous discussions could be generated involving the importance of listening, repect for others, and the importance of communication. There are silly authorial asides that add to the enjoyment. Adults should enjoy it as much as children, though for different reasons. It would be a great book to use in a book discussion group for almost any age. Teachers could regard it as a therapeutic gem. This was a joy to read and it only increased my appreciation for Andrew Clements as an author.

review by Donna Talmage, July 2011

review by Gael Nappa, July 2011